Brie Larson Says Her Refusal to Clap for Casey Affleck at the 2017 Oscars "Speaks for Itself"

When Casey Affleck won Best Actor at the 2017 Oscars, people couldn't help but notice Brie Larson's reaction. The actress, who presented the award, didn't clap for Affleck (even though many in the room gave him a standing ovation). The Internet took this muted gesture as Larson's disapproval of Affleck, who was sued by two women for sexual harassment. Larson, who played a sexual-assault survivor in the 2015 film Room, has not commented on the moment—until now.

At the Los Angeles premiere of Kong: Skull Island, Larson told Vanity Fair that her decision to not clap for Affleck was, indeed, intentional.

“I think that whatever it was that I did onstage kind of spoke for itself,” she said. “I’ve said all that I need to say about that topic.”

Larson is a fervent advocate for sexual-assault survivors, so it's not surprising that she purposefully chose not to celebrate Affleck's win. If you remember, Larson took the time to hug each survivor who appeared onstage with Lady Gaga at the 2016 Oscars during her performance of "Til It Happens to You" (a song that discusses sexual assault). And Larson has said multiple times while promoting Room that she didn't speak to any actual sexual-imprisonment survivors because she wanted to respect their personal space.

Affleck himself addressed his sexual-assault allegations a few days after winning Best Actor. "I believe that any kind of mistreatment of anyone for any reason is unacceptable and abhorrent, and everyone deserves to be treated with respect in the workplace and anywhere else," he told The Boston Globe.

Regardless of whether or not the allegations against Affleck are true, it's important that Brie Larson took a stand against sexual assault—no matter how big or subtle. If we want to see change in our culture about this issue, more people need to speak up.

And if you are or have been a victim of sexual assault, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-4673). You can also chat online through the RAINN website.